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http://blog.kissmetrics.com/landing-page-design-infographic/ is a great start. Just focusing on 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 will put you ahead of the game.

What I've settled on is sales letters:

I second this, is there a good round-up somewhere with great examples with awesome interactions?

Simply Google "website landing pages inspiration" you'll get a ton of great lists to comb over.

Also tyler-b's comment should help you focus on the important features of a landing page